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Zoey Zhang

A viral video of primary school pupils in eastern China saluting teachers on cold mornings has sparked a storm of outrage online.
The incident happened at Jianqiao Primary School in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, a century-old institution known for its status as a key local school and a model of civility.
In the clip, four pupils wearing patrol armbands stand at attention at the school gate.
Each time a teacher’s car drives in, they salute and shout “good morning”. In less than a minute, they greet 10 cars.

The particular salute is known as a symbol of the Young Pioneers, a children’s organisation led by the Chinese Communist Youth League.
While some teachers wave at the pupils, most cars drive past with their windows up.
Meanwhile, another pupil is seen standing in the corridor, checking the appearance of classmates.
The video has attracted more than 100,000 likes on mainland social media, with reactions divided.
Supporters defend the practice as “etiquette education”, arguing it will help instil respect in the children.

However, critics said it was “ridiculous formalism”, warning that it could teach children to equate respect with blind obedience rather than equality.
One online observer said: “Why do the teachers not acknowledge the children’s greetings? With so many kids walking to school, the heavy traffic at the gate is also dangerous.”
A member of the school’s staff told the mainland media outlet Haibao News that the saluting was voluntary, adding that online criticism had affected the children’s enthusiasm.
The school also sees pupils carry out patrol duties during which they check campus safety, etiquette behaviour and lunch management.
Some parents, however, were not pleased.
One reportedly filed a complaint with the local Education Bureau, saying that their child had to wake up 30 minutes earlier each day to make it to school by 7.40am.
“It is a struggle just to stand in the cold and salute the teachers’ cars. It would be better to let the kids sleep an extra ten minutes,” one said.

Another parent posted a screenshot from a class group chat, showing that the school had instructed students to greet teachers at the gate.
On November 6, the local Education Bureau issued a statement, severely criticising the school’s headmaster and ordering corrective action.
Reports indicated that the school would install speed bumps and barriers at the gate and revise its campus etiquette education.
Unconventional practices like this are not rare in China.
In October, a secondary school in central China’s Henan province held a bizarre “guilt exercise”, in which parents knelt to form a human bridge over which pupils walked.


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Pupils stand at attention by gates in early morning to greet staff; supporters say it instils respect, critics fear ‘blind obedience’.


China education

China school slammed for making pupils salute teachers arriving in cars on cold mornings

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Pupils stand at attention by gates in early morning to greet staff; supporters say it instils respect, critics fear ‘blind obedience’.

Pupils stand at attention by gates in early morning to greet staff; supporters say it instils respect, critics fear ‘blind obedience’.